Santa Barbara High Athlete Kai Mault Defines Versatility

In a time of specialization with many athletes being pigeonholed to one sport or one position on the field, Santa Barbara High superstar Kai Mault has taken an alternative approach and flourished in the process.

Over the past several years, the Santa Barbara High football program has experienced steady improvement and transformed from a plucky underdog into an annual contender in the CIF playoffs, and Mault has been the driving force.

“I’ve been coaching high school football since 2007, and as far as an athlete goes, he is right up there as one of the top athletes, if not the top, that I’ve been fortunate enough to coach,” said Santa Barbara High coach Nate Mendoza. “The key word is competitor. We see the best in Kai in big games.”

As a sophomore in 2022, Mault exploded onto the scene as wide receiver. He finished the season with nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. The Dons finished with a 9-2 record overall and claimed a share of the Channel League title.

Mault’s key contributions as a sophomore on varsity were stunning, considering he never played tackle football before high school. His instincts, balance, and spatial awareness complemented his above-average raw athleticism in a way that can’t be taught.

“Growing up, I played everything: soccer, basketball, baseball. I played flag football. I wasn’t allowed to play youth [tackle] football yet; my parents made me wait until high school,” Mault said. “A big part of it was I also surfed. Surfing was a big part of my childhood, and I think that’s what made me good at everything I do. The balance that it takes to ride a surfboard is a good base level to go into everything else.”

As a junior in 2023, Mault started on both sides of the ball and made an immediate impact on defense — including a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown against Ventura that sparked a crucial Channel League victory. He also had a 72-yard touchdown pass in that game that would foreshadow his overall contributions as a senior.

The Dons went on to defeat a very good St. Paul team in the opening round of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs before dropping a thriller against Corona Del Mar, 24-21, in the second round.

Despite the loss, Mault displayed his ferocious competitiveness against Corona Del Mar with a 37-yard touchdown reception that tied the game late in the fourth quarter. He finished with seven catches for 155 yards overall.

On August 6, 2024, Mault committed to play baseball at UC Davis. He was excited to reach a goal that was at the top of his list when he started high school.

“I always figured I wanted to play baseball in college from the start of high school. That was kind of my goal. I was kind of antsy about playing football,” Mault said. “This summer, I put in a bunch of work just grinding throughout, and when the opportunity came, I went up there [to Davis] and loved the school. The staff was just amazing to me. They are very good people, so it was an easy decision for me.”

Fast-forward to the beginning of this football season and the emergence of Laird Finkel as quarterback for Santa Barbara, and the Dons’ passing attack was poised to reach new heights. Finkel is the 15th ranked pocket in the nation according to ESPN’s recruiting rankings.

Finkel and Mault developed instant chemistry as the duo combined for five touchdowns through the air and nearly 500 yards during the first four games of the season.

The Dons were undefeated at 4-0 when disaster struck in the form of a collarbone injury to Finkel during a hometown rivalry game against San Marcos. Mault stepped in as quarterback for the final three quarters, and the game ended in a 20-20 tie. Santa Barbara was riding an eight-game “Big Game” winning streak that San Marcos was able to snap.

“It’s been tough. It has been a big adjustment, but the staff and team around me has been amazing,” said Mault of adjusting to the quarterback position. “There’s been a whole lot of support, and I just feel very comfortable out there with the people I have around me. And that’s what makes me do what I can do.”

Over the next two games, Mault was able to put up incredible numbers rushing the ball from the quarterback position, but the offense suffered as a whole due to the lack of chemistry in the passing game. Mault rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries in a 35-6 loss to Newbury Park and followed that up with 154 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries in a 41-28 loss to Rio Mesa.

“It just speaks to him not only as an athlete, but as a person. He never blinked or balked at the opportunity to play quarterback. He knew that’s what gave us the best chance to be successful each Friday night,” Mendoza said. “We saw leaps and bounds of improvement from Newbury Park to Rio Mesa.”

After dropping their first two Conejo Coast League games, Santa Barbara was in a position where they needed to win the final three games of the regular season to claim an automatic playoff berth.

With their backs against the wall, the Dons got on track against Calabasas as Mault rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in the 28-21 win. This included a 46-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds remaining to put Santa Barbara in front.

Santa Barbara received excellent news as Finkel was able to return to the lineup in a limited capacity against Westlake. With his quarterback on the field, Mault put together a truly unique performance, which included five carries for 127 yards and two rushing touchdowns, a 17-yard touchdown pass, and four catches for 65 yards receiving and a touchdown. Santa Barbara won the game, 31-0.

Despite a heavy dose of adversity this season, the Dons had an opportunity to lock up an automatic playoff spot with a victory over Thousand Oaks this past Friday, but dropped a nailbiter 34-28. Mault had a 47-yard touchdown run and a five-yard touchdown catch in defeat. After sweating out the selection process, Santa Barbara received an at-large berth and will match up with El Modena in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs on Friday, November 8 in Orange.

Mault’s 10-game regular season stats are a testament to his versatility. He finished with 652 yards rushing and nine touchdowns on 52 carries, which breaks down to an astounding 12.3 yards per carry. Add that to his 601 yards receiving and seven touchdowns on 28 receptions, and Mault has put together a truly historic senior season.

Despite being committed to UC Davis for baseball, Mault has also received significant interest for football from some of the Ivy League schools. He maintains a 4.4 GPA. In addition, University of San Diego and University of Idaho have been actively vying for Mault’s services on the gridiron. With a GPA to match his versatile athleticism, Mault certainly has an exciting future to look forward to.